Andy Kahrs brings his Glen Campbell tribute "Rhinestone" to the Orange Blossom Opry Saturday night, and the $150,000 LeMieux Grand Prix CSI3 show jumping fires up at World Equestrian Center around the same time -- two very different Saturday nights, both worth picking. Weather-wise, Friday and Saturday carry an 80% chance of showers and storms, so plan outdoor things early and keep the afternoon flexible. Sunday is the cleanest day of the three -- mostly sunny to start, high of 92, with only a 30% storm chance.*
Friday
Baby Sprouts Story and Playtime -- Lady Lake Library, Free, 10:30 AM & 3:30 PM ET
Two sessions of this one, which is handy. Designed for babies up to 18 months, it's gentle stories and play activities aimed at early development -- basically a low-key, structured way to get out of the house and let the little one interact with something other than the living room floor. No signup required, just show up.
Bricks & Beyond! -- Lady Lake Library, $5, 10:30 AM & 3:30 PM ET
Same two time slots as Baby Sprouts next door. Kids get hands-on building time with LEGO bricks and DUPLO blocks -- the kind of activity that's genuinely absorbing for the 5-and-under crowd while also checking the "educational" box parents appreciate. Five bucks is a reasonable Friday morning.
CLUB CTRL Feat. DJ Lu-S -- Brownwood Paddock Square, Free, 6:00 PM ET
DJ Lu-S takes over Brownwood Paddock Square for a full club-mode set -- beats, lights, and enough energy to flip a Friday night from zero to something. It's free, it's outside, and it starts at 6, so you can make it a full evening or just catch the first hour on your way somewhere else.
Braxton Bennett at The Polo Pony -- World Equestrian Center, 6:00 PM & 8:00 PM ET
Central Florida country singer-songwriter Braxton Bennett plays The Polo Pony for dinner, drinks, and live music. Two sets -- 6 and 8 -- so you can time it around a meal. WEC's bar scene on a Friday night has good energy, and Bennett is a local act worth catching in an intimate setting.
Chris Mcneil at Yellow Pony -- World Equestrian Center, 6:00 PM & 8:00 PM ET
Over at Yellow Pony Pub & Garden, the bill lists Chris Mcneil -- though the act delivering the rock and blues covers with powerful vocals is Ecliff Farrar, who's played top venues along the East Coast. Two sets at 6 and 8. If you're already at WEC for Bennett, this is a short walk in the other direction.
Friday Night Live starring Bobby Randall and The OBO Band -- Orange Blossom Opry, 7:00 PM ET
Nashville recording artist Bobby Randall leads the OBO Band -- Doug Stock, Randy Nichols, Keith Horne, and Dave Jaquez -- through a set that blends prime country and Southern rock. The Weirsdale Opry is a real room with real sound, and Friday Night Live is a weekly institution that earns its regulars. Good option if you want a proper music night without driving to Ocala.
Small Town Slam Wrestling -- Depot Pavilion, 7:00 PM ET
Head of the Class 4 brings a six-team tag team tournament to the Depot Pavilion in Inverness, plus two singles matches. Local Pro Wrestling runs a family-friendly show and the Depot Pavilion is an outdoor covered venue -- fun crowd, loud, and exactly as chaotic as you'd want wrestling to be. The City of Inverness is listed as a co-presenter, which usually means a well-run event.
Reilly Noir: Jeff Rupert Quartet -- Reilly Arts Center, $33-$45, 7:30 PM ET
The Jeff Rupert Quartet plays swinging jazz with some bossa nova and ballads mixed in -- billed under the Reilly Noir series, which leans into the intimate, late-evening vibe the format calls for. Reilly is a proper arts venue in Ocala with good sightlines and better acoustics than most rooms in the area. Friday night jazz for $33 to $45 is a solid deal.
Saturday
Mount Dora Genealogy Group -- W T Bland Public Library, Free, 10:00 AM ET
The Kinseekers Genealogical Society hosts this monthly gathering at the Mount Dora library -- no registration, just show up and share what you're working on or pick the brains of people who've been digging through records for decades. If you've got a family history project sitting half-finished somewhere, this is the crowd that can help move it along.
Greg Warren Trio 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM | Radlin' Rootz 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM -- Sawgrass Grove, Free, 12:00 PM & 6:00 PM ET
Two full sets of free live music at Sawgrass Grove in The Villages. Greg Warren Trio runs noon to 3, Radlin' Rootz takes it into the evening from 6 to 10. Saturday storms are projected to roll in later in the day, so the early set is the safer outdoor bet -- but the covered grove handles weather reasonably well if you want to stick around for the full day.
V4V presents: James Yon, A Funny Man! -- Old Mill Playhouse, 2:30 PM & 6:30 PM ET
James Yon does relatable, quick-wit, laugh-out-loud stand-up in the intimate Old Mill Playhouse setting -- close enough to the stage that you feel like part of the show. Two shows Saturday, 2:30 and 6:30. The afternoon show tends to draw a different energy than the evening; if you want the louder, looser crowd, go at 6:30.
Andy Kahrs: Rhinestone (Glen Campbell Tribute) -- Orange Blossom Opry, $37, 7:00 PM ET
Andy Kahrs pays tribute to Glen Campbell in "Rhinestone" -- a full show built around the songs and career of one of country music's most decorated performers. The Orange Blossom Opry is the right room for this: good sound, reserved seating, and an audience that actually knows the catalog. At $37, it's one of the better-value ticketed shows of the weekend.
$150,000 LeMieux Grand Prix CSI3* -- World Equestrian Center, ~7:30 PM ET
The weekend's most genuinely spectacular live event -- international-level show jumping at $150,000 in prize money, held under the lights at WEC. CSI3* is a serious level of competition and the WEC arena is purpose-built for it. General admission appears to be included with venue access; no separate ticket has been found for the Grand Prix itself. Plan to arrive before 7:30 and expect a full arena on a Saturday night.
Sunday
Mount Dora Village Market -- Sunset Park, Free, 9:00 AM ET
Outdoor market at Sunset Park in Mount Dora -- free admission, vendors and food purchases separate. Sunday is the best weather day of the three, so this is genuinely a good morning to be outside. Get there early; Mount Dora markets tend to be at their best before the late-morning crowds arrive.
Journaling for Self-Discovery -- W T Bland Public Library, $15, 1:30 PM & 3:00 PM ET
A structured journaling class for adults, loosely based on Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, covering different techniques and styles for building a personal writing practice. Two sessions Sunday afternoon -- 1:30 and 3:00 -- no registration required, just show up with $15. Sponsored by the Mount Dora Library Association, which runs a tight program.
The Full Lineup
Find all 57+ events this weekend at the villacala events page.
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